The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-03-26

clouds, but Sing Flu did not sec them,
and skipped down the steps into the
garden, which was full of beautiful fall
flowers. But even on the prettiest
China asters countless grasshoppers
were jumping about. He first caught a
good many for the Mandarin ducks
which were sailing about, and preen-
ing their glistening feathers in front Of
his mothers house. Then he tied a
dozen on a fine silk thread. 1t was
easy to fastcn them securely without
hurting them, and loon he had four
dozen of the biggest fast to his thread,
and painfully kicking out their legs.
Sing Fu's m had one maid,
who was very nervous, and sometimes
cross. Whatever Sing Flu did dis
turbed her, and when he was about he
often heard her murmur to herself:
"Boys drive me raving crazy!' Mice,
worms, spiders and every sort of in
sect made her shrek aloud, and as Sing
Flu tied the forty-eighth grasshopper to
the end of his string he thought Of old
Sin. "What would she say to these. l
%wonder!!' he said to himself, and went
slowly up the path tying on a few more
grassloppers as he walked.
Sin, looking very sad and old. was
bending over an embroidery frame.
Her back was crooked and she was
very deaf. But Sing Flu thought not
of her possible misfortune, but only of
how cross she was, and how silly it
is to be afraid of insects. His step was
noiseless, and he reached the window
near which she sat unobserved. A
dwarf palm grew in the tub just be-
meath it, and screen was
partly drawn across the opening.
He gathered up the grass
hoppers with one hand and climbed
upon the tub. He had thought he
would say, 'Look SIM" and hang his
~grasshoppers on the palm, but instead
he put them on the window-ledgc.
Finding themselves upon something
solid, and having no fear of old ladies,
they jumped upon Sin, who, giving
a shrill scream, fell to the floor in II
fit.
Frightened in his turn, Sing Flu
dropped from his perch, threw the
grasshoppers to the Mandarin ducks.
who could scarcely believe their eyes
when they saw so many delicate NOR
sells before their bills, and ran to the
pavilion of drums. or band-house-a
building thought necessary to every Of
fetal residence in China. His heart
said "Club-dub' very loud in his ears,
and he expected every moment to hear
his name called. He had not meant to
brighten old Sin very badly. ''But,
after ALL he said to himself, .'she
ought not to be so silly"
1t was nearly time for the fall thanks
giving festival. and the pavilion was
empty, for all the musicians were out
buying cakes, toys and fruit for their
little friends. But the musical instru-
ments were all there, and Sing Flu went
straight toward the drums, which were
deep bowls Of copper or bronze. over
which was stretched carefully prepared
calf-skin. He struck the great drum
lightly with his finger, and it gave
forth n hollow: sigh. Oh! how much
ne wanted to know what makes the
noise in drums. Shing Tc said they
were hollow; but then he often said
also that n hoy should not be told
every thing. Something must make
the beautiful roaring noise, and as he
adored noise Sing Flu longed incxpres-
sibly to peep inside u drum. The
loose blouse he wore contained many
pockets, and in one of them was the
pcnknife his uncle Sun Loo had
brought him all the way from England.
"A small hole won't hurt a big
drum he thought, besides Shing Tc
was always urging him to find out
things for himself. The hide was
tough, but the knife was sharp, and h.
"""'' III" Pcep>Ho''. AS ic Coulu see
nothing, he made it larger. Still he
could see nothing, and cut a third
time; but now the hole was as big
round as a copper cask, and though
he could see the bottom of the drum,
he could see nothing else; and the
little flap of leather, which he had
trusted would the wound In the
top seemed to have shrunkcn.
"What if-oh, dreadful thought"
the sound vas made by a spirit which,
unseen by him, had dartcd out through
the hole he had made. Footsteps
were approaching, and he thought it
wise to spring out of the back window. |
There was u delicious fragrance in
the air, and Sing Flu followed it to the
kitchen. where all day Hong Wing, the
cook. had been preserving ginger. He
was asleep now in his own room, and
"a, AIAxsx ss,x.. - 1tAlI